Lin Fan waited at the bus stop for the number 666 bus. Standing there, he seemed out of place compared to the others around him – quiet and indifferent to his surroundings.
The bus slowly pulled up to the curb.
Beep!
Student card.
He walked slowly to the back of the bus, found a seat, and gazed at the scenery outside the window. Then, he pulled out his smartphone from his pocket. The screen lit up dimly, prompting him for the unlock code.
He stared at it for a moment, then lightly tapped in the password.
[8858]
He opened his messaging app. The once lively class group chat had gone silent after the first morning class.
Chen Yang: Classmates, are you all okay?
He had arrived in this strange world with a peculiar mission in his mind: to become someone no one in school dared to bully.
He found this requirement odd. I'm perfectly fine, I don't provoke anyone, why would anyone bully me?
So strange.
Xu Xiaodong: "..."
Jiang Ming: "..."
…
Not long after he sent the message, some classmates replied. However, their responses puzzled Lin Fan. He couldn't understand what the 'six dots' meant.
Chen Yang: Classmates, your studies must be tiring. I heard you're in the hospital after catching a cold from sleeping on the ground. As your classmate, I plan to visit you this afternoon.
Xu Xiaodong: "???"
Zhang Hao: "???"
Yang Zitian: "???"
…
Staring at the screen, Lin Fan fell into deep thought. He couldn't decipher the meaning behind his classmates' messages.
Think, think.
Perhaps it means 'no need to be so polite'.
Or maybe…
They're touched!
"Dongfang Square, next stop."
Lin Fan got off the bus and walked into the residential complex, returning home. As he opened the door, the aroma of cooking wafted towards him.
A voice came from the kitchen, "Yangyang, you're back! Go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."
It was always just the two of them at home.
Lin Fan never saw the man of the house. It was always his mother bustling around.
Soon, dinner was ready.
"Yangyang, today I made your favorite braised chicken wings. Your dad really wanted some, but I wanted to make them for you." The middle-aged woman added a chicken wing to Lin Fan's bowl. "I've already spoken to your dad. He'll make time to visit your school this afternoon."
"You need to understand your dad. He works very hard. He leaves for work early every morning and comes home late at night. Everything he does is for our family. So you have to work hard too."
Lin Fan lowered his head and ate. The food was delicious, much better than the food at Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital. His taste buds had long been accustomed to this flavor.
It was like smoking. There were many kinds of cigarettes, but he only liked the one he always smoked.
Not because it was particularly good, but out of habit.
"Some classmates were hospitalized this morning. I'm going to visit them this afternoon," Lin Fan said.
The middle-aged woman said happily, "That's wonderful! Our Yangyang is so caring and knows how to get along with his classmates. Mom is so proud. If your dad knew, he would be proud of you too."
Soon, lunch was over.
Lin Fan returned to his room and sat quietly on the windowsill, looking at the scenery of the residential complex below.
Gradually…
He saw his mother on the balcony next door, leaning against the railing, quietly smoking a cigarette, staring blankly into the distance.
He searched through the memories of this body.
He couldn't recall many images of the man of the house.
He rarely saw him.
Conquering the Chuangwei Middle School group chat.
This group only had a dozen members. They were the "bad students" in Chuangwei Middle School's eyes, taking pleasure in bullying classmates, boasting about failing exams, and showing off their cheating skills.
"Chen Yang from Class 2, Grade 12, does anyone know him?"
"I know him. Isn't he that sissy?"
"At noon, Tang Jie got beaten up by Chen Yang. I heard from my friend that Chen Yang punched a wall in the alley by the school gate, and it dented the wall. Tang Jie almost peed his pants on the spot."
"Damn! Really?"
"@Tang Jie, Jie, tell us what happened"
"@Tang Jie, is it true?"
"He's a tough one. Be careful, guys. Don't mess with him."
The group chat was buzzing with activity.
"I think it's just bragging. If Chen Yang was that strong, how could we have bullied him so badly?"
"I think it's mostly fake."
Suddenly…
A member posted a photo.
"(photo)jpg, Are you talking about THIS wall??????????"
"???"
"..."
"Holy crap…"
The lively group chat abruptly stopped, as if it had been shut down.
"My house is near the school. After hearing what you guys said, I immediately went to check it out. It's really dented. It's a fist print, and there's blood. Chen Yang is so strong. If that punch landed on us, who could withstand it?"
Gradually…
The group members fell silent. They were the invincible little tyrants at school, taking pleasure in bullying the weak, but at home, they had to endure the heavy blows of their parents.
Bullying ordinary students was fine.
When encountering a tough opponent, they naturally became scared.
Afternoon.
Lin Fan left home with the money his mother gave him and went to the store. He walked around inside, lost in thought, wondering what to buy.
Looking at the two hundred yuan in his hand…
He felt like he could buy a lot of things.
But with so many classmates, what should he buy?
The store owner asked, "Student, what do you want to buy? Is it a gift?"
"Yes," Lin Fan nodded.
The owner enthusiastically suggested, "Then you can buy two cartons of milk. Usually, milk is a good gift."
Lin Fan looked at the two hundred yuan again. Would buying milk be enough for everyone?
"I need two cartons of milk, fifty yuan each, and a hundred yuan worth of sausages." Lin Fan placed the two hundred yuan on the counter. He felt that this distribution was the best.
The owner looked at Lin Fan. It was the first time she had encountered such a customer.
But the customer is always right.
As long as you pay…
Even if you wanted steaming hot excrement, she wouldn't hesitate to fetch it for you from the toilet.
Lin Fan left, awkwardly carrying two cartons of milk and one hundred sausages.
The owner curiously ran to the door, watching Lin Fan's retreating figure.
"What a strange student."
She felt that there was something odd about this student. How to put it… it would be rude to say it directly, but if she didn't say it that way, she couldn't explain his behavior.
It was like something was wrong with him.
Hospital.
Lin Fan didn't know which ward his classmates were in. He stood downstairs in the inpatient building, pondering for a long time.
Then, carrying his purchases, he began searching floor by floor.
As long as he started from the first floor, he would definitely find his classmates' ward.
At this moment…
At the stairwell of the inpatient department, one could see a student in school uniform, carrying things, checking floor by floor.
Until…
The eighteenth floor.
He finally found them.